Work Starts On Harlem High-Rise For Homeless, Low-Income Families

HARLEM, NY — It's official: Construction has begun on the 19-story building at 1760 Third Ave., transforming the high-rise into 434 affordable apartments for low-income and formerly homeless people.

Elected officials and local housing nonprofit Breaking Ground, which developed the project, celebrated the new beginning at the site this Tuesday.

Over the next 18-24 months, developers will turn the building — which was first a college dorm for CUNY, and then a migrant shelter in June 2023 — into 434 apartments, 261 of which will be reserved for formerly homeless people, 40 of which are reserved for young adults aging out of foster care or who have experienced homelessness.

The other 172 units will be set aside for low-income people at or below 60 percent of the area median income, Brenda Rosen, Breaking Ground's president and CEO, said. There will also be one apartment set aside for the on-site super.

"The need for affordable housing for low-income individuals — and obviously for those who are homeless — is dire, and to have the opportunity to use an underutilized site to produce so many units at one time is just a rare and fantastic opportunity," Rosen told Patch.

The nonprofit acquired the building — situated in Harlem just a block from the Upper East Side between East 97th and 98th streets — in late June, Rosen said.

The $264 million project was financed by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, New York State Homes and Community Renewal, and several other city and state funds, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

“By investing state resources into communities like Harlem, we can create the modern, affordable apartments that New Yorkers need,” Hochul said. “This development on Third Avenue will bring new life to a vacant building by transforming it into affordable apartments that over 400 households will be able to enjoy for generations to come.”

Wells Fargo also contributed $500,000 toward providing furnishings for the homes and common areas, as well as a computer room and fitness area.

In addition to the furnished apartments, the building will also be outfitted with amenities like a community gathering space that will host activities and workshops, a fitness center, a computer room, and a medical suite, and office space for Breaking Ground's property management and social services, Rosen said.

"The groundbreaking of 1760 3rd Avenue marks a significant step forward in our mission to create a more just and equitable society," Assemblymember Edward Gibbs, who represents the area, said. "As we continue to address the affordable housing crisis, projects like this remind us that together, we can create a more just and equitable society for all."

The construction will take place over the next 18-24 months, Breaking Ground said.

For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.